Union's Greg Campbell, center, celebrates with his team after defeating RPI in the Mayor's cup hockey game at the Times Union Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Union's Greg Campbell, center, celebrates with his team after defeating RPI in the Mayor's cup hockey game at the Times Union Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Union's Alex Sakellaropoulos, center, celebrates with his team after defeating RPI in the Mayor's cup hockey game at the Times Union Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Union's Alex Sakellaropoulos, center, celebrates with his team after defeating RPI in the Mayor's cup hockey game at the Times Union Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times ... more

Union captain Mike Vecchione holds the trophy next to Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas, Schenectady County council member, John Polimeni, Schenectady council member, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan after his team defeated RPI in the Mayor's cup hockey game at the Times Union Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Union captain Mike Vecchione holds the trophy next to Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas, Schenectady County council member, John Polimeni, Schenectady council member, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan after his team ... more

Brown's Nick Lappin (28) scores against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute goaltender Jason Kasdorf (33) during the first period of Game 2 of a Eastern College Athletic Conference hockey playoff series in Troy, N.Y., Saturday, March 5, 2016. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: HP102 ORG XMIT: MER2016030519531841 ORG XMIT: MER2016030912542751 less

Brown's Nick Lappin (28) scores against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute goaltender Jason Kasdorf (33) during the first period of Game 2 of a Eastern College Athletic Conference hockey playoff series in Troy, ... more

RPI's Patrick Polino, center, pressures Clarkson's Aaron Thow, left, down the boards during their hockey game against Clarkson on Friday, Nov 11, 2016, at Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union) less

RPI's Patrick Polino, center, pressures Clarkson's Aaron Thow, left, down the boards during their hockey game against Clarkson on Friday, Nov 11, 2016, at Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / ... more

The RPI hockey team would have to make history to complete a successful trip through the ECAC Hockey Championships that conclude in two weeks in Lake Placid.

No 11th-seeded team ever has won the coveted championship that earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, but that's the quest that begins for the underdog Engineers this weekend in a best-of-three opening-round series at Clarkson.

RPI is coming off one of its worst seasons in recent history, going 8-26-1, 6-16-0 in ECAC play after winning its season finale at Colgate.

There is a modicum of hope for RPI in the opening round, because the Engineers split their season series with the Golden Knights in conference play. The two teams also met in a nonconference game at Lake Placid, with Clarkson winning 6-1 on Jan. 7.

RPI won the most recent meeting, a 2-1 decision in a defensive struggle in Potsdam on Jan. 28.

Clarkson comes into the series with a 15-14-5 record, including a 10-9-3 mark in ECAC play that earned the Knights the sixth seed in the tournament.

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ECAC playoffs first round

Friday: RPI at Clarkson, 7

Saturday: RPI at Clarkson, 7

Sunday*: RPI at Clarkson, 7

*-if necessary

Clarkson is led by junior Sam Vigneault with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists), followed by senior forward Troy Josephs, who has 15 goals and 25 points. The Knights have a freshman in goal in John Kielly, who posted a 13-13-5 record with a 2.58 goals-against average.

Senior captain Riley Bourbonnais led RPI with 15 goals in the regular season, and he is tied for the team lead in points with Evan Tironese with 27 points apiece.

Tironese will not play in the first game of this series after a disqualifying spearing penalty in the Colgate victory this past weekend.

Junior Jared Wilson was among the nation's leaders in goals scored by defensemen with 10.

Union finished in a tie for first with Harvard for the league title and was seeded second for the playoffs. The Dutchmen thus earned a first-round bye this weekend; they will host a to-be-determined opponent next weekend in Schenectady.